But not on the book trailer. Nope, we’re busily slaving away at getting the first seminar done. Luckily, we have our secret Final Cut Pro weapon, which is making things go much faster.

Right now, I don’t really have any idea when we’ll get to the book trailer. We’ve discussed a few possibilities, and even wondered if we should come right out and say what we’re doing because it will likely be awhile. That way, we could post behind-the-scenes stuff more freely. Tell us what you think.

Here’s one more less-spoilery photo to tide you over. My brother Ben getting a makeup job:

Tags: Blog, Editing by Jordan
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All trucks use low gear!

Seriously, though. Recently, I learned about a very neat transition in Final Cut. Introducing… The Gradient Wipe!

(Disclaimer: Remember when I talked about cheesy transitions? A gradient wipe can be just as cheesy if you overdo it. Don’t.)

Okay, with that out of the way, let’s jump in. First of all, what is a gradient wipe? My local dictionary says nothing on the subject, so you can make up your own definition based on the explanation. Let’s play with a gradient wipe. [Read more →]

Tags: Blog, Editing, Special Effects, Tips and Tricks by Jordan
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(This video references part 10 of iSundae II: Attack of the Cones. You may want to view that part before you view this video.)

Your patience has been rewarded. Here, at long last, is the tower top behind the scenes video.

Behind the Scenes of the iSundae II Tower Top Scene from Phantom Moose Films on Vimeo.

You can also watch the video on YouTube.

This is the last behind the scenes article we have planned. Is there anything that you want to know about from iSundae II? Leave a comment and tell us, and we’ll see if we can accommodate you.

Tags: Blog, Editing, Movies, Special Effects, Video by Jordan
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There are two things that generally stand out when you watch an amateur video. Shaky footage from the lack of tripod use, and too many transitions. We amateurs love transitions and use them frequently. Too frequently. Why? I don’t know, maybe because any video editing software comes with piles of cheesy transitions, which amateurs think they really ought to use. Well, allow me to write a bit more on this subject, and I’ll shed some light on when to use transitions and when to avoid them. [Read more →]

Tags: Blog, Editing, Movies, Video by Jordan
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Read any book, ask any pro, and you’ll be told that showing it is better than saying it in most cases. If you can get the story across without saying a word, you generally end up with a more compelling story, and it sounds less cheesy. [Read more →]

Tags: Blog, Editing, Movies, Tips and Tricks by Jordan
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